Save your money and avoid Camp Shane!
Written: Aug 14 '02 (Updated Dec 27 '02)
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Pros: Good friends, Weight Loss
Cons: Poor facilities, Poor Staff, Isolation, Unhealthy approach, Poor follow-ups, False advertisement
The Bottom Line: Parents please: BEFORE YOU CONSIDER GOING TO THIS CAMP EMAIL ME AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE ADDRESS OF OTHER UNHAPPY CAMPERS (MY WHOLE BUNK).
Thank you
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| jlc262's Full Review: Camp Shane |
Camp Shane is a weight-loss camp in New York that accepts campers ages 8-16. You can stay at the camp from 3-9 weeks. Most campers stay for an average of 6 weeks. There are six activities(typical activities-soccer, tennis, softball, aerobics, swimming, basketball, arts and crafts, and ropes corse), meals, and an evening activity. My experience at Camp Shane was a negative one. I am now 18 years old, but at the time I was 15 years old (y/o 1999). I have always been slightly overweight and I wanted to change. So naturally a weight-loss camp seemed like the ideal place to go for the summer. I couldn't have been more wrong! What you are about to read is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!
TYPICAL DAY
8:00-8:30- Get up and clean Cabin
8:30-9:00- Breakfast
9:15-9:30- Get ready for warm-up
9:30-9:45- Warm-up
9:45-12:30- 3 activies
12:30-1:00- Lunch
1:00-2:00- Break (hang-out with friends, write letters, whatever)
2:00-4:30- 3 more activities plus 1 snack
4:30-5:30- Shower time, showers are not allowed in morning.
5:30-6:15- Dinner
6:15-8:00- Evening Activity
8:00- Hang out with friends and eat another snack bed times were given according to age the latest group went to bed around 9:30
The food was not the best. The fruit never seemed to be ripe and the salads were terrible. A typical lunch usually consisted of a small salad, small piece of meat, fruit, and as many glasses of water as you liked. Dinner was about the same. Breakfast was usually a small bowl of cereal, type of bread, and fruit. Snacks were usually popsicles or unripe fruit. The kitchen staff seemed to be lacking in preparation. There were several times they would run out of food and start serving vegetarian for the remaining. Nutrition classes were held once a week and I felt like I didn't get a lot out of the classes. There was absolutely no follow up plans after I left camp, like advertised. I was under the impression that I was to be sent a follow up book, but that never happened even when I called and e-mailed the staff, no response! Food and exercise, like most diets, were the main plan to loose weight. You were given 3 small meals and 2 snacks. But the calorie content was very low for the day, usually about 1,000 calories. Most of the people at camp were significantly overweight and their bodies required extra calories, but what did the camp care? One thing I did learn is the food pyramid, but there was only 1 cooking class in the six weeks I attended camp! Campers were weighed in once a week. On the average a typical summer at Camp Shane one would lose about 15-30lbs. However, everyone I have talked to has gained back their weight, including me. This is due to no source of after program upon return and little knowledge of weight loss. Also they force about 6 hours of exercise in a day and nobody does that when they return!
As for exercise it wasn't any better than the nutrition. Most campers who come to Camp Shane are out of shape. They are not used to the heavy exercise. Instead of gradually working you into a plan, they pack your day of about 5 aerobic activites which you don't chose, like advertised. You went to activites as a bunk. Each day is divided up into 6 classes like school. There is lunch and break in between the third and fourth activity. Classes include mainly sports. In these classes the instruction is very poor, with the exception of the Ropes Course. The counselors also yell at campers who need to sit out because they fell faint. I remember a girl in my bunk passed out and was yelled at. It's terrible! However there are a couple classes that are non-activity related such as computers and Arts and Crafts. Drama class is usually during your break. The whole day concentrates on sports.
Sleeping accomadations are filthy! Campers sleep in non-airconditioned bunks, which are not clean! There are 8 bunk beds that are practically falling apart in each bunk. Therefore 14 campers and 2 counselors to each bunk. But only 2 bathrooms for a total of 2 showers in each bunk. The bathrooms always smell and there is hardly any hot water! There are no jaintors at camp the campers are responsible for keeping the bunks cleaned. We are expected to clean toilets and showers yet with no materials! There was also a problem with mice and the exterminator was there often. As for laundry everyone put there names on their clothes and the camp washed clothes once a week. The camp did not have a good system with laundry because lots of laundry was lost!
The basketball courts were in terrible condition and the walking trail was rough.The few bathrooms found on campus were nasty and the swimming pool was smaller than advertised, definitely not olympic-sized as told. Furthermore they lead you to believe the lake is at the camp when in fact it is 20 minutes away!
Everyday kids seemed down. Just about every night you could here muffled cries in the cabin. Most of the camp just didn't care. A phone call was allowed only 3 times per 6 week stay. Phone calls were real strict and only 15 minutes per call. Also you seemed to be rushed. I lost 31 lbs ending up at 102lbs, very unhealthy. I turned anorexic and the camp didn't even notice, yet much care. My mom called the camp director, after I called her one night. My mom said I sounded upset. But the director never called her back. She also tried to contact him afterwards with no hope. The camp could be described as a "boot camp". sized The only thing that seemed to keep me going was the friends and my boyfriend at the time. My parents could have avoided taking out the loan. Need another opinion read this article about Camp Shane: http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/vol18/issue36/xtra.fatcamp.html
Parents please: BEFORE YOU CONSIDER GOING TO THIS CAMP EMAIL ME AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE ADDRESS OF OTHER UNHAPPY CAMPERS (MY WHOLE BUNK).
Thank you
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 4000
Type of Camp: Other
Best Suited For: 13 to 17 years
Camper to Counselor Ratio: Fine mix of campers and counselors
Financial Aid Available: No
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Epinions.com ID:
jlc262
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Reviews written: 11
Trusted by: 1 member
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